The words of the United States are not so effective.
First, Iran and North Korea confronted the United States on the nuclear issue, and then Israel pointed its nose at the United States in the international community, so that everyone could figure out who was the son and who was the father of these two countries. American hegemony seems to be on the wane.
Why do more and more countries dare to resist the United States, and has the hegemony of the United States declined?
The rise of American hegemony
When it comes to the rise of American hegemony, we have to start with two world wars.
The United States made a fortune in the war, accumulating a lot of wealth and resources. At the same time, the United States has strengthened its relations with its allies by supplying them with weapons and supplies, raising its international standing.
After the war, the United States led the creation of the United Nations. The United States has also changed from a "rich man" who only had money and little say in the international community before the World War to one of the "five permanent members."
At that time, the United States was full of illusions about the future, and after fully learning from the experience of the world war, the United States pinned its hopes on the five most powerful countries to solve the problem through negotiation rather than war. At that time, the United States certainly did not expect that the dragon slayer would eventually become a dragon.
After the war, the ideological struggle between capitalism and socialism, replacing the struggle for colonies, became the main theme of the world, and the Cold War broke out. The United States has become the big brother of the capitalist world because of its superior economic and military strength.
At this time, the United States was still very big brother. Although it also meant to control its allies, it did provide a lot of economic help to its allies, and when it confronted the Soviet Union, it was also at the forefront, and everyone was willing to obey the command of the United States.
It was also during this period that the United States developed explosively in science and technology, and many major breakthroughs were made in the field of science and technology, such as electronics, aviation, biotechnology, and so on.
It can be said that the United States during the Cold War has laid the foundation for its four pillars of hegemony: military, science and technology, culture, and economy.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the only possible opponent to challenge the military hegemony of the United States disappeared, and the United States became a unique superpower.
The United States has taken advantage of its great victory in the Cold War to become a well-deserved world hegemon.
At its peak, the United States accounted for a quarter of the world's GDP, led the world by at least one generation in weaponry and equipment, and the level of science and technology was unparalleled.
As the hegemon of the world, the United States has received many titles, such as "God's chosen people", "lighthouse country", "country on the top of a mountain", and so on.
Without exception, these titles highlight the fact that the United States will not decline like the British Empire and the Third Reich, but will always sit on the throne of hegemony.
At that time, the "final conclusion of history" was very popular, believing that the political and economic systems of the United States were the most perfect system, and that the development of history would be over.
The historical task of the United States is to put all countries in the world on this road, which provides the road confidence and theoretical basis for the United States to fight in the south and north in the world.
The decline of American hegemony
But it has to be said that the history of the United States is too short, and the hegemony of the United States is too glorious, which makes everyone really believe that the United States will never decline. Now it seems that the "end of history" is too ridiculous.
In 2001, the "911 incident" broke out, and the fanatical United States was drunk on the head. In a fit of rage, President George W. Bush announced to the world that if he did not become a friend of the United States, he would be an enemy of the United States, and the major powers of the world expressed their support for the United States in its war on terror.
Since then, the United States has led its staunch allies into a 20-year "law and order war", and in the past 20 years, the allies have followed the United States in the mountains of Afghanistan round after round, but have never been able to win completely.
In 2021, U.S. troops withdrew from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, while rebels watched the operation. When I first arrived in Afghanistan, how arrogant the US military was back then, and how embarrassed it is now.
The "fall of Kabul" is a landmark event in the decline of US hegemony, because it shows that as long as a medium-sized country dares to do something and can hold on, the United States will not be able to do anything about it even if it takes 20 years. The military hegemony of the United States is not as terrible as imagined.
It was the economic crisis of 2008 that shook the economic hegemony of the United States. Before that, the whole world believed that the United States was the safest country in the world with the economy, that the economic policy of the United States was the best, and that Wall Street could solve all financial crises.
But the 2008 financial crisis taught everyone a lesson, exposing the fragility of the US economy, puncturing the bubble of "American hegemony" and calling into question the global status of the US economy.
In addition, over the years, the United States has imposed sanctions on other countries at every turn, so more and more countries have begun to use their own currencies for settlement in international trade. This phenomenon challenges the dollar's status as the world's main reserve currency and weakens the U.S. influence in the global economy.
The moral basis of the United States as the world's policeman has also been challenged. Since Trump came to power, both allies and adversaries have dealt with only money. The beautiful scenery of Capitol Hill has made it clear to the world that American politics is not as rosy as imagined.
The self-immolation of American soldiers in protest against the United States' support for Israel's atrocities has exposed that the United States' actions have lacked a moral basis and are unpopular even at home.
China's rise has in fact highlighted the decline of the United States. China's development is so fast that the United States has only been fighting a law and order war for 20 years, and it will not be able to control the situation in the first place.
This also shows the world that the United States is not the end of history, and that there is another way in the world that can lead everyone to make a fortune besides the American way.
When the United States no longer calls the world with morality, but relies on force to maintain hegemony. When there is another path to the light in the world other than the United States. When the United States is not strong enough to deter other countries, the decline of American hegemony is almost inevitable.
epilogue
The history of the United States is too short, and it is inevitable that it will fall on its heels when it suddenly rises to a high position and gets carried away. It is true that the United States is too powerful, so even if its hegemony declines, the United States will certainly still be one of the world's major players.
The only variable is that in the United States, Biden and Trump's "gerontological politics" highlights the sharp opposition and lack of successors in American politics. No matter how strong a fortress is, it can be breached from the content, and so it was with the Soviet Union, and so it could be with the United States.
Resources:
[1] Xinhua Daily Telegraph, "Failed, Dysfunctional, Discolored American Hegemony" 2021-10-20
[2] People's Daily Overseas Edition, "War is the Core Means for the United States to Maintain Its Hegemonic Status", 2021-09-21
[3] Xinhua Daily Telegraph, "The Fall of Kabul", Ringing the Death Knell of the Decline of US Hegemony.2021-08-17